Yesterday, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) President and CEO Stephen C. Shannon, DO, MPH, attended the National Rx Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta, GA, along with H. William Craver III, DO, Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Barbara Walker, DO, Board of Trustees, American Osteopathic Association, as guests of the White House in honor of the Administration’s recently-announced pledge on opioid prescription education.The White House has also announced additional public and private sector actions to escalate the fight against the nation’s prescription opioid abuse and heroin epidemic.

“The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine appreciates the opportunity to partner with the Administration and the American Osteopathic Association to provide leadership on this issue,” said Dr. Stephen C. Shannon, DO, MPH, President and CEO of AACOM. “Medical education is the cornerstone of our health care system. Our COMs have demonstrated time and again their commitment to ensuring that the future physician workforce receives the training they need to provide their patients the best possible care. This pledge reinforces our commitment to a patient community that desperately needs our attention and support.”

27 U.S. colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) have pledged to join other medical schools across the nation in support of the White House’s initiative on chronic pain opioid prescription education. Beginning in fall 2016, these schools will require all students to take some form of prescriber education in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.

“As part of AOA’s ongoing collaboration with the White House to address the opioid epidemic, we’re pleased to announce that 27 colleges of osteopathic medicine will require their students to receive prescriber education prior to graduation. By teaching and reaffirming appropriate prescribing throughout the continuum of osteopathic medical education, DOs are working to improve the quality of care now and for future generations of physicians,” said John W. Becher, DO, President of the American Osteopathic Association.

About AACOM

The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) represents the 31 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States. These colleges are accredited to deliver instruction at 46 teaching locations in 31 states. In the 2015-16 academic year, these colleges are educating over 26,100 future physicians—more than 20 percent of all U.S. medical students. Six of the colleges are public and 25 are private institutions.

AACOM was founded in 1898 to support and assist the nation's osteopathic medical schools, and to serve as a unifying voice for osteopathic medical education. AACOM’s mission is to promote excellence in osteopathic medical education, in research and in service, and to foster innovation and quality among osteopathic medical colleges to improve the health of the American public.